simmer down
by hyperphonic
Summary: And that was how Mikasa's twentieth summer started: one suspiciously tall iced drink, a chance encounter with a distractingly hot brunet, and incessant teasing from her best friend since 3rd grade. modern!au/multiship/no one is dead
1. Let's get out

**because**: every fandom needs a sunburn and glitter filled epic of a summer fic

**notes**: this will be multiship, pseudo-beta'd and a fun little departure from my angsty vignettes (but let's be real, we all know it'll end in smut). hella.

**update c/o 5.18.15: **seeing as _simmer down _is rapidly approaching it's one year anniversary (what the fuck) it seemed fitting that it got a little bit of an update. as such, I've gone through and basically combined the first three chapters into one monster of an opening. I think it adds cohesiveness and breaks up the narrative less, however, if there's interest I'm more than happy to post up another version with the original breaks. I just found them crazy cumbersome tbh. thank you all so much for reading and being so, so supportive, it actually means the world!

* * *

"You _like_ him," Sasha purred from behind the counter of the coffee shop, one auburn brow arched high into her bangs as she watched her friend stare. "You totally do." The dark girl on the other side of the counter ignored her, grey eyes still fixed resolutely on the green-eyed boy pushing out of the air-conditioned café. Summer was starting in earnest, heralded in by iced drinks ordered en masse and heat waves on the pavement outside (though that didn't seem to stop the patrons from choosing outdoor seating over the air conditioned tables within). Sighing gustily, Mikasa turned her gaze from the brunet unlocking his car and pegged her friend with a droll stare, "I'll have a twenty ounce iced drip, please."

Warm eyes rolled dramatically, "oh sure, Cleopatra."

"Sasha…."

The cashier ignored her weak protest in favor of punching the registers' worn buttons airily. "That'll be two dollars and fifty cents, miss Queen of Denial."

And _that_ was how Mikasa's twentieth summer started: one suspiciously tall iced drink, a chance encounter with the distractingly hot brunet from her ochem class, and incessant teasing from her best friend since 3rd grade.

"I don't even know his name," the dark girl lied as she waited for her coffee to chill, nimble hands tying up dark locks. "I mean, I've only seen him like, three times" (another lie). Mikasa sagged against the cool, faux marble counter, oblivious to her friend's Cheshire grin. The heat was oppressive already, setting the fine hairs at the base of her skull sticking to her neck and heat waves dancing on the pavement outside. If this was May, August was going to be- "Eren." The cunning barista stated, hips swaying as she sashayed towards the register, "his name is Eren."

Blinking the confusion from her eyes, Mikasa was about to pester the brunette into telling her how the hell she even knew that when a rush of sticky-hot air blew through the empty shop. "Yo," the newest patron greeted, one hand raised in a lazy salute. "Can I have the usual Sasha?"

The girl behind the register gave a bright smile and a wink, demeanor changing from relaxed to flirty at warp nine, "sure thing, Mr. Kirschtein!" Sasha's step was even bouncier then usual, high ponytail bobbing as she bopped along to the song filtering through on the radio. The man's grin was suspiciously bright, tawny eyes warm as they followed the girls' almost-dance about the espresso machine. In the amount of time it took Sasha to make his drink (sixteen ounce iced Americano with room) Mikasa had noticed three things:

1\. "Mr. Kirschtein" had been in the same AP Statistics class as her last semester, their high school cross country team, and was one of Armin's best friends.

2\. His undercut was dumb as hell.

3\. She was not going to let him anywhere near her Sasha romantically (especially not with his dumb haircut and even dumber cologne).

"You're wearing _Fierce_." The dark woman pointed out, voice decidedly deadpan when Sasha's 'patron' approached her end of the pickup counter. His stupid t-shirt nicely accented his collarbones, and the blue made his eyes stand out against tanned skin. Mikasa glared venomously- _of course_ Sasha would fall for him (it was borderline miraculous that it hadn't happened already, actually). Tawny brows shot up before drawing down, and her old teammate looked about five seconds from snarking right back at her when Sasha cut him off breezily. "Your drink is done, Jean!" The pair shared a brief smile as their fingers brushed, coffee passing hands with an easy familiarity. "Have a nice day Sash," his biceps were particularly prominent as he pulled his wallet out to leave a (generous) tip.

"You too Jean!"

The broad-shouldered man exited the café with a lazy stride, silence falling for only a moment before Mikasa grinned and leaned in towards her friend.

"You _like_ him!"

In the end, Sasha threw her out, insisting that they'd "discuss this over tacos" when she got off from work. Which was probably good, Mikasa reasoned as she idly rolled down the windows of her car, chin bobbing along to the beat of the radio. There was sure to be some level of foul play involved (Sasha was, after all, a little notorious for her underhanded techniques when it came to getting her more taciturn friends to interact with boys) and that kind of psychological warfare didn't belong in _anyone's_ workplace. It was summer anyways, and now that she was free from school, she had things to do (like the green eyed boy from ochem, a voice that sounded suspiciously like Annie's drawled). But soon all thoughts of green-eyed boys and baristas with crushes were blown from her mind, caught in the breeze from her cranked windows as she sped off down the road.

By the time Mikasa had gotten back to their modest little apartment, her phone already displayed five new messages from the barista:

* * *

**To**: Ackerpanties

**From**: Sasha

thaT BOY JUST CAME BACK.

HE SAID HE THOUGHT HE LEFT HIS CARD

HE PAID IN CASH

CLEARLY HE WAS LOOKING FOR YOU

CLEARLY

* * *

Rolling her eyes, Mikasa ignored the string of texts and kicked off her sandals before meandering towards the couch, fully intent on cleaning out her school bag and burning all the (now irrelevant) Statistics work filed away inside. The soft hush of their apartment filled in around her, and just as her back met the cushions the phone went off again, buzzing incessantly against her hipbone and prompting a frustrated snarl.

If Sasha was sending her whales again…

Instead of the dreaded onslaught of emojis, Mikasa found another string of messages (maybe refusing to buy any groceries last time she received 420 whale-texts as retaliation had actually _worked_).

* * *

**To**: Ackerpanties

**From**: Sasha

HE'S IN THE MED PROGRAM

HE SAYS HE TOOK OCHEM WITH YOU

IS THIS TRUE

WHY DIDN'T YOU TELL ME THIS

* * *

Ok, so the brunette had caught the fib she'd slid across the polished counter earlier. But one school year of stolen glances across the lecture hall hardly counted as 'knowing' right?

Right.

Either way, Mikasa sighed as she melted into her couch, the cat was out of the bag.

* * *

**To**: Sasha

**From**: Ackerpanties

Because I didn't think it was important, Sasha

We didn't speak once for an entire school year, so it's not like I actually knew him.

* * *

**To**: Ackerpanties

**From**: Sasha

Ohhhh noooo that defINITELY COUNTS.

DID HE LOOK AT YOU A LOT.

OH MYFUCK.

HE DID DIDN'T HE.

* * *

**To**: Sasha

**From**: Ackerpanties

That's not important.

Aren't you at work?

Or is 'Mr. Kirschtein' back, huh?

* * *

Sure she'd effectively sidetracked the brunette, Mikasa tossed her phone to the other end of the couch and arched her back in a lazy stretch. Sasha still had about an hour left of work, which was just enough for the dark girl to shower and maybe still ritualistically burn her homework. The neighbors were already convinced that the two girls were crazy anyways (Sasha had a tendency to compose brief operas whenever they ordered out), what harm would a little sacrificial burning do? Certainly not as much as an aria focused solely on pico de gallo and how it '_made her stomach sing with joy_'.

Collapsing back into the soft brown velour the weary girl paused for a second, sharp eyes studying the ceiling as she thought. If Sasha wasn't being a dick, and Eren (his name stood clear in her mind, called every morning by the Professor during attendance) had indeed come looking for her at the shop, then…

No, Sasha had to just be spinning everything into another coffee scented fantasy. There was no way the boy she'd maybe-liked all semester was digging her now. With a shake of her hair and a sharp inhale, Mikasa sat up and began to empty out her bag. She didn't need a boy hanging around anyways. Even if his hair _did_ look impossibly soft, and the bright green of his eyes made her stomach drop dizzily every time they caught one another staring.

Pulling the final draft of her final Pathos essay out with a venomous glare, the young Ackerman set it aside before moving onto the next slightly crumpled sheaf of paper. Additionally, the last time she'd dated it had ended in a nearly burnt down house and at least six months where she refused to so much as glance sideways at carne asada (which was problematic, because neither she nor Sasha could cook. Mexican take out was a bit of a staple in their cramped apartment). So really it was in everybody's best interest if the sun kissed brunet really had just misplaced his debit card.

Really.

By the time Sasha had sauntered through the door, bag of tacos in hand and some poppy Gaga number on her lips, Mikasa almost believed herself.

* * *

When their plates were clear save for cilantro garnishes and spent lime wedges, Sasha folded her arms and nailed Mikasa with a bright stare. "So," the dark girl could feel dread pooling in her gut, nothing good ever came of serious stares from her bubbly companion. "Tell me everything."

There wasn't any point in trying to beat around the bush, so Mikasa gave a sigh and began to lay down the facts. "Well he sat three desks to my left in ochem," The dark girl shrugged, unwilling to divulge how much she'd _really_ liked him, "every once and a while I'd catch him staring, or vice versa." The brunette's eyes widened, "and you two never talked?" Mikasa could have mentioned the time a mysterious cup of too sweet coffee appeared on her desk before finals, or how he had come into class one frosty December morning wearing an oxblood scarf that sent her hands shaking, or even how his hand would sometimes brush against her wrist when the class jostled for equipment. But instead she just shook her head, "well no," her phone lit up with an instagram notification- something from a user she didn't know called jagerbomber.

She swiped right and ignored it in favor of defending herself, "I mean, how was I supposed to start a conversation?" Sasha got up to clear the plates as her roommate began to talk in a mock falsetto, "_oh hi there I see you too have signed up for this stupid-hard class, I really think your eyes are the brightest I've ever-_" Swearing at the sudden vibration of her iPhone, Mikasa broke off from her tirade to glance at said phone, lock screen blowing up with notifications. "Who the hell is jagerbomber and why the fuck did they just like almost my entire instagram gallery?"

"Oh!" Came Sasha's chirp from behind the fridge door, ass sticking out, "that's Eren!"

Incredulous, Mikasa looked down at the flooded activity screen, "you gave him my _instagram_?"

"Yep!" The brunet emerged with a glass of milk and several cookies slotted between her fingers not unlike Wolverine's claws, "And your facebook, twitter even though you never use it and I thought about giving him your number but really I figured-" Uninterested in hearing her _unquestionably flawed_ logic, Mikasa cut her off with a strangled cry, "_Sasha_!"

Her roommate looked perplexed, brows knit together as Mikasa stood. "I'm just helping things along." _Couldn't she tell?_

"But I don't even _know_ him!"

"It's okay!" She swallowed and gave a bright grin, "Jean's known him almost as long as we've known each other! He's totally cool!" Mikasa felt her eyes roll almost of their own accord, that _would_ be Sasha's logic. "So I'm supposed to trust the judgment of your Fierce wearing, Americano ordering, pseudo-model boy toy?!"

Sasha pointed an accusatory cookie at the petulant woman across from her. "One, Jean is not my boy toy, he is a respected customer we've known since ninth grade who gave me his number today and is buying me tacos tomorrow." Long auburn hair flicked over one shoulder, "Two, fierce smells really good and I better than whatever shit your male-individual-of-interest wears so just unknot your thong and dress cute tomorrow!"

Grey eyes narrowed and Mikasa took a borderline threatening step forwards, "_dress cute tomorrow?_"

"Yeah," Sasha hummed as she absently bumped the fridge closed with her hip and took a bite out of one cookie, "Jean and I are getting tacos tomorrow before my shift. You're coming too."

"Why the hell am I coming too?" Lean arms crossed beneath her bust, "it's your fucking date."

"Ahhh," Sasha purred, licking a smear of melted chocolate chip from her finger, "but you see," the dread was back in the pit of Mikasa's stomach, "Eren is _his_ stupid-hot friend."

The next day dawned (much to Sasha's horror) abysmally rainy. The spring up until now had been dry, all sunshine and mild breezes, and though her brunette housemate spent the entire morning moaning about it, Mikasa was glad for the refreshing change in weather (if for no other reason than it putting the dust down).

"I can't believe this!" Came a strangled cry from the bedroom to her right. "How are you supposed to wear a sundress if it isn't sunny?" Dark eyes rolled, and Mikasa continued her set of pushups, happy to listen to the beat of her heart and the drum of the rain. "Mikasa what do I dooooooo?" With a final dip, and a shake of her sweaty hair, the dark girl rose to her feet to regard the half dressed female in her doorway. "Put a cardigan on," she shrugged, already reaching for a change of clothes and envisioning herself in a nice, warm shower.

"But it's summer!" Sasha wailed, flopping dramatically onto the bed. "Wearing a cardigan in summer is _sacrilege_!" Entirely too sweaty to really give a fuck about the fashion crisis at hand, Mikasa rolled one shoulder and pegged the other girl with a stare. "_I'm_ going to shower," the beginnings of a devious grin spread across her friend's face, "and _you_ are going to stay out of my closet."

Almost as fast as it had come, the grin fell off Sasha's bright face. "Damn."

Fifteen steam filled minutes later, the young Ackerman exited their communal bathroom fresh faced, not sweaty and toweling her dark hair vigorously. "You should put pants on!" The closet raider smiled, sweeping past with her makeup bag in hand (and Mikasa's favorite sweater on under her windbreaker). "We're leaving in ten!" Mikasa resigned herself to a sweaterless day with a sigh, damp hair still clinging to her cheeks as she shuffled past her door.

By the time both girls were dressed and sufficiently made up twenty minutes had past, causing Sasha to unleash a volley of panicked texts as they rode the elevator down to the parking garage. "_This_ is why we need another mirror in the house." Mikasa calmly unlocked her car, sliding into the drivers seat as Sasha threw herself into the passenger seat with enough force to send the small vehicle rocking. "I don't even know if I remembered to put mascara on my left eye!"

The ignition purred to life, and Mikasa began to back out of her parking spot as Sasha squealed, "Mikasa! _Do I have mascara on my left eye?!_"

"Check for yourself, Braus." The click click click of her signal clashed against the beat of the radio as Mikasa turned onto the street, rain curtaining across the car as they picked up speed. "Oh, oh I do, thank the taco gods." Glad that crisis was averted, the dark girl lifted one hand from the steering wheel to turn the volume up along with the build of the song (and the frantic beat of her heart).

Lady Gaga filling the car, the two girls sped through the rain towards taco nirvana (Sasha's words, not hers).

* * *

"Okay." Sasha began, critically admiring herself in the reflection of Mikasa's black hybrid. The rain had petered off as they drove, though the sky remained resolutely overcast, threatening to spill again as the brunette turned to look at her ass. "Everything looks okay, right? I don't have panty line, right? My makeup isn't smearing, right?"

Bending at the waist to apply some lipgloss in the rearview mirror, Mikasa shrugged noncommittally. "You look fine." The brunette stomped one converse clad foot. "You didn't even _look_!"

"She didn't need to." A familiar voice drawled, accompanied by two pairs of footsteps. Rubbing her lips together to even out the gloss on her lips (buxom, in pink lady), Mikasa rose to skeptically regard the almost-blond approaching her friend.

The Kirschtein boy was sauntering towards them across the damp asphalt, jeans just barely beginning to go dark around the hem. "You look great." Naturally, Mikasa glared. Who the hell gave him permission to strut in here and start smooth talking? This was all because he'd played football in high school, she knew it. That was _basically_ an express pass to dickland. At the tawny man's shoulder stood another male, all bright eyes and shaggy brown hair, walking with none of his companion's (pompous) swagger.

"Eren, this is Sasha," Her friend flounced forwards to lightly shake his hand, warm eyes darting to Mikasa's for a brief second (she was going to _punch her_). "And this is..." One calloused palm gestured to her, dropping slightly as she cut him off, "Mikasa," viridian eyes snapped to her, and the dark girl felt like she'd been punched in the gut "I'm Mikasa".

"Hi," Eren greeted, almost-baritone a little raspy. The car stood between their locked stares, but Mikasa knew that if she were to shake his hand, it would be warm and dry and sure.

"Well," Sasha began, devious grin practically splitting her face, "I understand that you're both attractive individuals, but it's starting to rain again, and I can _smell_ the carne asada."

Gaze reluctantly dropping back to her (trembling) hands, Mikasa tucked the lipgloss back into her purse and stepped up onto the curb. Jean and Sasha were already halfway to the door, the familiar tune of Sasha's favorite carne asada aria drifting back to her on the air (and clashing tremendously against the roaring in her ears). Eren followed suit, long legs matching her pace as they fled the drizzle of rain.

"You were in my ochem class, right?" He grinned as he held the door, heedless of her grab to open it. "Yeah," Mikasa smiled, pushing still damp hair from her face as she stepped into the spiced air. "I sat a few desks over from you."

"I know," he murmured, almost (but not quite) lost under the canned Mariachi music.

"Two special tacos, carne asada, a la carte?" The cashier recited with a grin as Sasha approached the counter, wallet already out. "Yes, thank you!" She sang, extending a twenty towards the man behind the register as Jean studied the menu above the counter before ordering. "I'll have the soup please," one hand tugged Sasha's down, "and the bill, too."

So maybe he wasn't _entirely_ horrible, Mikasa reasoned.

The couple peeled off to the salsa bar, already joking about something that sounded suspiciously like a (rather sexual) parody of Pacific Rim ("and instead of Jaeger suits, they could wear _metal mankinis!"_). Shaking her head fondly, Mikasa gave the cashier a wave before ordering. "I'll have the chicken special tacos please," she smiled, leaning on the counter to better dig through her purse. "Rice and beans?" "Ah no, thank you though," The dark girl returned when she'd found her wallet. "A la carte is fine." If she paid for her own food then it wasn't a date right?

Right.

Behind her Eren was texting rapidly, brows knit together as he hunched over his phone.

* * *

**To**: Dumbass

**From**: Horseface

You'd better grow a pair and say something other than 'did you sit by me in ochem' asshole.

Because I am not going to listen to you whine about this girl all summer.

I'M NOT.

NOT.

* * *

**To**: Horseface

**From**: Dumbass

Shut the fuck up Jean.

I'm not just going to open up with some sappy ass shit about her eyes like some dickheads I know.

Calm your tits.

* * *

Glancing up at the girl ahead of him, Eren felt a warm smile pull at his lips. So sure this was less of a date and more of an 'I-got-dragged-here-by-Jean-because-he-has-the-hots-for-a-crazy-girl,' but the simple fact of the matter was that he _had_ spent most of the year waxing poetic about the girl three desks to his left in ochem. And apart form the one finals morning where he'd been bold enough to set a cup of coffee on her desk (ochem was an inordinately hard class- and he knew she'd be up cramming all night. The least he could do was make sure she had a little coffee that morning) he'd never had the balls to strike up any kind of communication.

It wasn't his fault though, not really. Any guy would find himself as timid as a grade-schooler when faced with a girl like her. Pale skin, sharp eyes, legs as long as a fucking skyscraper. Maybe if she showed even the slightest bit of interest today he'd ask her on an actual date (or a close approximation, at least).

And he _meant_ it this time, not like when he said he'd write his number on the sleeve of her coffee and pussied out at the last minute.

After ordering and sufficiently raiding the salsa bar the brunet slid into their booth, unsurprised to find that Jean and his lady friend had already jury rigged it so that he was sitting across from Mikasa (who's grey eyes were warm when she caught him staring).

"Okay so." Sasha chirped, eating pico de gallo with a fork as she waited for her meal, "a virgin man decides to rent a hooker-"

"Sasha, no." Eren blinked back at the girl across from him, curious.

"But Mikasa, that's my best joke!"

"It literally ends in the punch line, 'if I had a pussy I'd run this town' you're not telling it over lunch."

Sighing dramatically, the brunette began to complain, throwing out the beginnings of other jokes only to have Mikasa shoot them down, thin lips quirking into a playful smirk.

"So two whales are sitting at a bar…"

"That one is just dumb."

She was _really_ pretty; even in the washed out, fluorescent lighting of the restaurant. Eren wondered if she liked bad horror flicks- the weather was so shitty that he could totally justify asking if she wanted to watch troll hunter with him…

"A vampire is jacking off in front of a mirror-"

"You stole that from Connie- doesn't count."

Mikasa was entirely too hungry to be playing bad joke police, and Sasha showed no signs of ceasing in her onslaught. Rolling her eyes as the brunette prepared her next attack, the dark girl crossed her legs under the table, jumping slightly when her shin collided with Eren's knee. _Sorry_ she mouthed, giving an apologetic smile as he shook his head. _It's no big deal_ he replied with a boyish grin, one hand waving it off just as Sasha opened her mouth.

"What did the ghost say to the beehive?"

Mikasa was still smiling at him, lips halfway to forming what was sure to be a snarky remark when-

"BOO BEES"

The food arrived.

"Well," Sasha sighed, melting back into the booth as she contentedly rubbed her stomach. "I have twenty minutes till my shift." Mikasa gave a nod, and began to gather her things, "alright, we can make it there in fifteen if we take Minnesota down to-" "I can take you," Jean cut in, car keys already in hand as he and Eren slid out of the booth. "It's on my way to work." He gave a rouge grin, "plus that way I can get my fix too."

Sasha gave a bright peal of laughter and grabbed him by the hand, already marching towards the door (Mikasa glowered, unsure if he was referring to her friend or caffeine, but either way positive the tawny man was entirely too cocky).

"Am I still picking you up then?" Silly baristas with silly crushes on no good, cocky football players- "Please!" And then they were gone, racing through the rain towards Jean's coupe.

For a moment, the two remaining pseudo-adults stood awkwardly, caught between their booth and the doors. "Ah-" Eren began, unsure of how to press past the social stalemate they were caught in. "I heard that really shitty Irish horror flick was playing at the theatre pub, if you don't have any plans…"

Mikasa felt her heart pick up, _rush rush rushing_ in her chest. She'd seen the ad for it last time she'd hopped on their wifi, it looked good for a laugh at least (and the thought of heckling it with the unfairly tan boy beside her was too good to pass up).

"No, that sounds great!"

By the time they'd emerged from the crowded warmth of the theatre pub, the drizzle had built to a veritable downpour. "Yeah, I don't know," Eren laughed, hands shoved deep in his pockets, "I still liked the part where she had to drive the bulldozer best." Mikasa couldn't fight the grin on her face as they stood at the doors, stalling their inevitable dash through the rain. "But really the scene in the cave was best," she replied, tucking a stray piece of hair back as she laughed. "I mean, the comedic one liners were great!" The boy beside her let out a sigh as he grinned, "yeah, that _was_ a pretty solid flick."

Mikasa's lips pulled into an even wider grin as she turned fully to look at him, all bright eyes and bronze skin... Only to have her face go a little slack as their eyes met (_the blood rushing in her ears began to sound more like a roar, echoing off rooftops and crimson stained walls_). "Definitely," her voice sounded soft, offhanded, even to her own ears. Outside, the rain increased again, distorting the streetlights in the almost dark. Eren was moving closer, brow knit as if working a problem as he studied her face. Mikasa felt her own feet moving closer too, drawn in by a tug in her gut and the race of her heart in her throat (_but this was all fast, too fast, and his scent was hanging in her nose like sharp wind and cinders_). Their toes were almost brushing when she inhaled sharply and broke the tension with a single glance at her phone, "well," the dark girl began breathily, "I've only got about thirty minutes till Sasha gets off work."

Eren blinked, viridian eyes flicking from her face to the time on her phone, before straightening and turning his stare outside with a crooked smile. "Yeah, and we need to get your car from the taco joint." Nodding, Mikasa made for the door (already pulling all of her layers close in anticipation of the downpour), before Eren cut her off, holding it open with a boyish grin. "Race you to the car?"

And that was how their friendship began: two almost-adults careening through a monsoon with laugher on their lips and love on the edges of their hearts.

Slamming soaked palms against the slick paint of Eren's car, Mikasa took a split second to catch her breath before crowing "I win!" From the drivers' side, the brunet shot her a grin before slicking his soaked hair back, "only cause I had to dodge that lady and her kid!" Laughing, Mikasa followed suit and pulled her hair into a (completely waterlogged) ponytail before ducking into the car. "Okay sure," his scent permeated the air, enhanced by the rain on his skin and the chill of the car. "Whatever you say, Eren." Shaking his head like a dog, the green eyed boy beside her gave a grin as he turned the key. "It's true though, I'd have won otherwise!" (She knew he was right, but sure as hell wasn't going to show it.)

The drive to her car was a quiet one; filled with shy smiles and the occasional brush of their shoulders as Mikasa shifted her weight to better bask in the warm air. Neither of them really cared though, not with the rain against the windshield and their almost-something earlier- it seemed most prudent to let sleeping dogs lie.

"Well thanks," The dark girl began as they pulled in beside her own car; reluctantly breaking the silence with the light timbre of her voice. "The movie really was a lot of fun." Eren's grin was nearly blinding and Mikasa couldn't help but wonder how she made it through the school year without talking to him sooner. "No problem," said grin turned sneaky as one hand darted out to curl around her phone, easily snatching it from where it sat against her leg. "I doubt Sasha and Jean will really let us fall out of contact," Mikasa laughed, the two were incorrigible, there was no way in hell- "but should they fall down on their duties," their fingers brushed when he handed her the phone (they were just as warm as she'd thought they'd be), "there's my number."

Mikasa smiled all the way home (or at least all the way to Sasha's place of employment).

* * *

"Sooo," Sasha sang as she sat in the passenger seat of Mikasa's car, long brown hair dripping wet from her dash across the parking lot. "What did you do while I was at work?" Mikasa took a second to think, absently backing out of her spot in the cramped little lot. "Nothing really,"

"No Eren?" There was a (poorly disguised) tone of disbelief.

"No Eren." Mikasa wondered if she'd ever bothered to get better at fibbing (she couldn't remember, which probably meant-).

"Bullshit."

Yep.

Turning right onto the road, Mikasa sighed and relented. "Okay fine," the cadence of her voice accelerated with the car (and her nerves), "I went and caught _Grabbers_ at the theatre pub with him."

The resulting silence was nothing like the warm one that had filled her and Eren's drive back to her car. This one was electric, charged and ominous and- "You went on a _date!" _Sasha screeched, turning fully in her seat to stare at the girl behind the wheel. "Oh my fuck, I _knew _you smelled like his cologne!" Mikasa fought the urge to just veer off into the ditch and end her torture right then.

"Tacos plus a movie totally equals a date," her friend was practically vibrating with excitement, "did you snog, was he good, his palms weren't sweaty were they, oh my god did he touch your bo-"

"Sasha please," the drum of rain on the roof momentarily ceased as they drove beneath an overpass, "it wasn't like that, really." It wasn't the kind of fast paced electric that her friend thrived so entirely on. It was slower and warmer, a tingle in her fingers as opposed to a shock straight to her heart.

The brunette looked at her skeptically, and Mikasa tried again. "It was more like…" She searched for an example, "more like you and Connie."

Sasha thought for a second and then nodded; she and the aforementioned man had spent the year between high school and college bordering on romance. Their friendship had run deep, and very much had held the potential to be something more, had Connie not moved away to pursue a career in the arts. Granted, she and Eren had only known each other for a day on a first name basis, and were nowhere near that level of familiarity yet- but it was a good example nonetheless.

"Whatever you say then," Sasha grinned, leaning back in her seat. Mikasa wasn't sure why the brunette looked like the cat that caught the canary, but it was easily the most unsettling thing she'd seen all day (and that _definitely_ included the same girl fitting almost an entire taco in her mouth earlier).

After that, her friend settled into an inordinately detailed recounting of her drive to work with Jean, grin almost too starry eyed, even for Sasha. "He was so funny, and his taste in music is so good!" A dramatic (and probably tongue in cheek) hand went to her chest. "He laughed at all of my jokes and had even better ones to shoot back!" Sharp brown eyes turned to Mikasa as they pulled into the parking garage, "D'you wanna hear one?"

"Not particularly." Sasha's jokes were generally disgusting or offensive (or both), so if Jean's joke had been delightful to her then it was definitely something Mikasa didn't need in her life (at least not now, when she was still riding the coattails of her afternoon).

Heedless, the bubbly girl continued, "what's the worst part of eating eight oysters out of your grandmother's-"

"_Sasha!"_

* * *

**To: **Dumbass

**From: **Horseface

So how'd it go?

Did you grow a pair?

Or do I need to come over there and play puppeteer.

Because I'd much rather stay here and not put my pants back on.

* * *

**To: **Horseface

**From: **Dumbass

Jesus Jean, do you have you no faith in me?

* * *

**To: **Dumbass

**From: **Horseface

None.

I mean, you did sit three desks away from her for an entire year and only managed to give her one anonymous cup of coffee (which, by the way, she totally takes black. Not all girly like you.) and maybe a few smiles.

* * *

**To: **Horseface

**From: **Dumbass

You're a dick.

* * *

**To: **Dumbass

**From: **Horseface

I prefer to think of myself as a realist, thanks though.

* * *

**To: **Horseface

**From: **Dumbass

A real dick.

Anyways, we went to see that flick about the monsters you have to get shitfaced to survive

aaand I gave her my number.

So thERE HA.

* * *

**To: **Dumbass

**From: **Horseface

Wow, nice one.

Ohhhh grabbers! Was it good?

And well done, I take back what I said about your balls.

* * *

**To: **Horseface

**From: **Dumbass

Why thank you.

Yeah it was solid, I think it only runs another day though.

* * *

Still grinning a little giddily, Eren tossed his phone onto the table and turned his attention back to the television. Today had gone a whole hell of a lot better than he'd thought it would, not only had he finally _talked_ to girl-three-desks-down, but they'd eaten lunch _and_ caught a movie together. And she was just as smart and engaging as he'd thought she'd be. Who the hell knew if things would get romantic (a part of him really hoped they would), but either way, she was someone he could see becoming a very integral part of his life, platonically or not.

Maybe tomorrow she'd text him, but for now Eren was content to watch TV and wait for Armin to get home so he could brag.

(He would shit _bricks _when he found out!)


	2. Wherever you are

**because:** well i never did specify which month i'd update after the 30th of.

**notes: **no, i am v sorry for the radio silence, 2014 was an insane year (honestly if i told you dips some of the adventures i'd found myself on you wouldn't believe me), and this fic takes a very specific mood to write. so thank you for bearing with my gaps between updates. i love you all longtime, like fergie.

**that being said: **even though second semester starts on monday, i should be able to update far more frequently, so i wouldn't worry about any more eight month gaps between chapters (that looks so much more horrible when i say it like that, jesus).

* * *

Armin Arlert liked to consider himself a fairly rational individual (he was a biological sciences major for Christ's sake). Which was impressive, seeing as that he had spent his entire childhood in the presence of one Eren Yeager who, while undeniably smart, was about as far from rational as one could get.

A fact evidenced by the gross ton of texts the blond had just opened his phone to.

"Jesus Christ, Eren," he sighed, head dropping back to rest against his girlfriend's shoulder. "Hm?" Annie intoned, glancing down at him from her textbook, "Eren just sent me something like three hundred emojis." Fair blonde brows vanished into angled bangs. "What emoji?" Armin grimaced, "the pointer finger and the a-okay hand."

"Wow."

"Yeah."

His shoulder-pillow shifted as the blonde stretched to see his phone, "he sent you three hundred penetration emojis?" The fair haired couple exchanged a glance before breaking down into a fit of giggles.

"Damn," Annie breathed, breath rushing out of her chest as Armin pulled her into his lap, strong arms flexing with an easy grace. "He must really want your attention." The blue eyed male gave a bright laugh, palms sneaking under the hem of her shirt to span the smooth skin of her back. "Yeah, he must."

And then they were kissing.

* * *

It was nine thirty at night and his stupid, blond best friend _still _hadn't come home to hear his news yet. Eren had tried being reasonable, had tried waiting patiently, and had _then _tried sending him the penetration emoji again, and again and again. Really it wasn't like Armin to blow him off like that, which meant he was probably with Annie, which _meant _that the asshole was probably getting laid.

Dick.

(Literally.)

The brunet was pulled from his fuming by the familiar buzz of his phone against the table, screen lighting up insistently. "Finally!" He exclaimed, basically leaping across the room to snatch the Apple product.

But the notification glowing across the bright screen wasn't Armin at all. Green eyes widened and the gasp that left Eren's mouth was decidedly less than masculine. "Aw _fuck yeah!_"

* * *

Mikasa had tried to wait a full day before texting him, really she had. It was just that she couldn't get his smile out of her head, and _The Descent _was playing on their cable and it was just all too much for the dark haired twenty year old. She'd never had a lapse of control like this, it was _totally _ uncharacteristic. There was no way she could let Sasha find out.

* * *

**To: **Eren

**From: **1-(917)-310-9876

So, /actual/ horror flicks, am I right or am I right?

* * *

**To: **1-(917)-310-9876

**From: **Eren

You are so right

(this is Mikasa, yeah?)

* * *

**To: **Eren

**From: **Mikasa

Oh! Yeah, it is.

And hell yeah, have you seen The Descent?

* * *

**To: **Mikasa

**From: **Eren

Only more times than I'm willing to admit

Have you seen the director's other flick Dog Soldiers?

The comedic dialogue man.

* * *

**To: **Eren

**From: **Mikasa

It's on cable right now, if you're interested.

Yessss it's so good! But he really dropped the ball on Doomsday.

* * *

"Dude," The scent of Sasha's perfume (Lucky You) engulfed Mikasa like a cloud. "You did _not _just text Eren about horror flicks did you?" Glaring fiercely (there went _that _secret), the taller girl flipped her off, "so what if I did?" A pause as the brunette just raised perfectly groomed brows. "And shouldn't you be more worried about the fact that I didn't wait a day before texting him?" Sasha laughed before plopping down beside her friend on the couch, gold chains bouncing against her collarbones.

"Mikasa," there was a feminine shriek as Sam set Holly's leg on screen, "no one actually gives two shits about waiting a full day to text someone." Absent fingers tugged on appallingly short shorts, "that's outdated." The brunette gave a sage nod, and reached across Mikasa's lap for the remote, pausing the movie mid scream.

"If the dude is diggin' on you he won't care ho-" the cheery ding of Mikasa's phone cut her off.

* * *

**To: **Mikasa

**From: **Eren

I am sO INTERESTED.

HAS SHIT STARTED TO GO DOWN YET

We don't talk about that movie.

* * *

Dark eyes darted up from her drafted response just in time to catch Sasha snapping a picture of her. "What the _fuck_?" Mikasa snarled, hitting send without breaking eye contact.

* * *

**To: **Eren

**From: **Mikasa

Well Sasha paused it 'cause she sucks, but no, not yet.

Fair, it really was spectacularly bad (like Devils Pass bad).

* * *

Sending the text off with a grin, Mikasa let her face fall blank as she turned to stare at her best friend. "Sasha why the _hell_ did you take my picture?" The brunette grinned, warm eyes focused on her phone. "No reason."

Slowly, so as not to alert the other girl to her plans, Mikasa set her own phone down on the table where it was sure to be safe from the impending shitstorm. "Bullshit, Braus," Her 'friend' continued to type, oblivious up until the second Mikasa tackled her off the cushions.

"Mikasa what the hell?" Her roommate cried, high voice muffled by the headlock Mikasa had her in. "Why did you take my picture?" Mikasa asked again, ignoring the pain where her friend's overly gaudy jewelry was digging into her shoulder. A frustrated squeal was her only response, followed by a heel to the small of the back before Sasha went limp in her arms (which really only caused the chain to press harder into Mikasa's skin). "Oh alright fine, I was snapchatting Jean."

Groaning, the dark girl rolled off her friend to clamor back onto the couch, she should have guessed as much. "You're insufferable." Sasha threw her hands up into the air, before shifting so she could stare up at her friend from the (dusty) floor (it was her turn to sweep anyways).

"He wanted to know if you and Eren were finally talking!" The pretty brunette exclaimed if this completely excused her error. Mikasa gave a groan and flopped back against the cushions as Sasha folded her arms atop the couch with a shit-eating grin. "And you are," a nod towards the phone that was alight with notifications, "so I had to tell him."

Mikasa just glared as she reached for said phone.

* * *

**To: **Mikasa

**From: **Eren

Oh hell yeah, the crawlers haven't even shown up yet.

Even the concept was rotten, like it would have been a little less painful if it had been cool in theory. Like the babadook.

* * *

Absently rubbing at the ache in her back where Sasha's foot had connected (she really did have a lot of strength in her legs), Mikasa pulled dark brows together and vaguely noted the movie resume in front of her as Sasha oozed back up onto the couch. "You _are_ gonna text him back, right?" Her best friend prodded, craning her chin down to create an alarming amount of double chins for a snapchat.

"Yeah," Mikasa smiled, cheeks warming up just a little as she set about unlocking her phone.

* * *

**To: **Eren

**From: **Mikasa

Ohh, that movie was so disappointing.

The rotten tomatoes reviews really got my hopes up too.

* * *

It had been at least ninety minutes and Armin _still _wasn't home yet. Eren turned his attention from the small, blue light of his phone to watch the movie, smiling a little as the first crawler appeared. _The Descent _was so well done, Armin would be disappointed that he had missed it.

But he _totally_ deserved it for abandoning him in a Time Of Need (capitol letters definitely required) to get it in with Annie (he could do that literally anytime, _clearly _this was more important).

Well, maybe not, the brunet reasoned, if anyone deserved a great girlfriend it was Armin. And Annie _was_ great, even if she did take Armin away from him in Times of Need. Seriously. How the hell was he even supposed to handle this situation without his friend's help? He was _finally _talking to girl-three-desks-down and there wasn't anyone besides Jean around to revel in the accomplishment with him. And while Jean was great at basking in the glory, he was 100% not the guy Eren wanted to have backing him up for the rest of the endeavor.

With one final, dramatic sigh the lanky almost-man flopped onto his side to better watch the movie. And, as if on cue, the door opened.

"Eren?" His best friend's clear voice rang out from the hallway. "Why the _hell_ did you send me over three hundred texts?" Green eyes lit up and, leaping onto his feet, Eren grabbed his phone (lit up just then with a text from Mikasa) and rushed to Armin's side. "You will never _guess!"_

* * *

"Wait," Armin sighed, pressing two fingers to his temple, "let me get this straight." Eren sat back with a crooked grin, completely content to watch as his (brilliant) best friend realized his triumph. "You _actually_ grew a pair and talked to the girl from ochem?"

Dark brows quirked, and Eren leaned forwards, "well I'd like to defend the honor of my balls first," because he totally had them, really he did (he killed all the spiders in their apartment, for Christ's sake). "But yes, that is, in fact, what happened." The blond gave a bright grin and punched him in the arm, "well done, Eren!" They shared a moment of comfortable silence where Armin stretched his arms up and over his head while Eren grinned (a little stupidly) at his phone against the arm of the couch. They'd been friends so long that silence was just as welcome as their rapid back and forth, and in moments like these, it was definitely the more appropriate of the two.

Armin smiled privately as he stood, blue eyes darting between Eren basically sighing at his phone and the horror flick paused on the television. "Want a celebratory beer?" He asked as he rounded the corner into their (basically unused) kitchen.

"Fuck yeah!" Eren's voice rang out over the screams of spelunking gone horribly wrong.

* * *

**To: **Arlert

**From: **Annie

so d'you have an explanation for all the emojis yet?

* * *

**To: **Annie

**From: **Arlert

I do, actually!

Do you remember last semester when he waxed poetic about his "girl-three-desks-down"?

* * *

**To: **Arlert

**From: **Annie

honestly it's a little hard to forget someone so clearly lovestruck.

especially when it's eren.

i expect that shit outta jean you know?

* * *

**To: **Annie

**From: **Arlert

It was pretty painful, huh?

Anyways, apparently he finally got over his heart palpitations and took her out

* * *

From her spot among the pillows and mussed sheets Annie gave an exasperated grin. That dumbass hadn't even bothered to give anyone a physical description of the girl he was so fucked up over, but by the virtues of analytic thinking and one loud mouthed brunette by the name of Braus the blonde had pieced it together before the semester had even finished out.

* * *

**To: **Arlert

**From: **Annie

so has he figured out that she knows literally everyone he knows already?

or is he still under the impression that she's some mystical ~otherworldly~ entity?

* * *

Mikasa Ackerman had grown up one door down from Sasha Braus who, one sticky hot summer day in sixth grade, had decided that because they were bet friends they were going to join a soccer team (because that's what best friends do and also Mary Kate and Ashley had done it so clearly she needed to too). The resulting debacle was now affectionately referred to as "the goalie incident" and was a very taboo topic in their circle of friends. However, it had introduced pair of dipshits to Annie, which had turned into an enduring friendship.

Sure Sasha was shit at soccer, and Mikasa had sent someone to the hospital, but that didn't change the fact that the three of them were more or less inseparable from that point on. Annie grinned at the buzz of her phone and rolled over onto her stomach, mindful of sore hips and the tug of her comforter.

* * *

**To: **Annie

**From: **Arlert

He is still completely oblivious, apparently it hasn't come up in conversation yet.

* * *

Come ninth grade and the sudden head rush of high school and hormones Mikasa this time advocated they try cross country running. Sasha was game based solely off the fact that dynamic stretches looked like "a gay dictators warm up routine" and Annie had reasoned that it was solid cross training (also it kept Mikasa out of contact sports, which was good for everyone).

There, the trio had met Armin Arlert, an up and coming Sophomore with one of the fastest 5k times in the state, and his dumbass friend Jean who he'd convinced to come out from the football team (according to Armin, at this point Eren was focusing on track, and hadn't wanted to run anything longer than a 400).

* * *

**To: **Arlert

**From: **Annie

that's honestly really impressive

do we tell him?

or just see if he figures it out?

* * *

The three of them had fared far better in cross country than they had in soccer (Annie outstanding), and by the end of the season Mikasa had raced up onto varsity as a Freshman and been offered a spot in the same training group that Armin worked with. It was the beginning of a beautiful friendship between the two athletes, and the beginning of Mikasa's athletic career. It had also been the bridge that started Annie and Armin's relationship, but that was neither here nor there (Annie was just happy that everyone she loved loved each other).

* * *

**To: **Annie

**From: **Arlert

I think we should see how long they can take before figuring it out.

I bet it's another month at least

Annie grinned and pressed her cheek into the pillow on her left, inhaling slowly and blushing a little at the hint of Armin-scent still there.

* * *

**To: **Arlert

**From: **Annie

you are so on

what's at stake?

* * *

Armin's Junior year and Mikasa's Sophomore they dropped the high school season in favor of racing and training solely with their team. Sasha had been heartbroken, and Annie more or less indifferent. They all still went to the same school, what difference did it make whether or not their two friends participated in school sanctioned sports?

Regardless, it had been that pursuit of athletics that had somehow danced Eren and Mikasa around each other once again.

* * *

**To: **Annie

**From: **Arlert

$100 and an entire week of tacos.

* * *

**To: **Arlert

**From: **Annie

i'm in.

* * *

Flopping onto the couch beside his dumbass best friend, Armin handed him one IPA and tucked his phone back into one loose pocket. "So what now?" The brunet beside him gave a gusty sigh. "Are you gonna ask her out for real?" Eren shrugged one shoulder, sipping his beer without breaking his stare from the TV. "I don't wanna fuck it up?"

Armin nodded sagely (even though he really had no clue what Eren thought he was gonna fuck up). "It might be better to just let it progress on it's own." A crawler launched itself onto one of the girls on screen, "I really really like her," another sip of beer, "so I'd almost rather go slow."

This time Armin nodded for real, taking a drink of his own beverage and grinning at his (totally fucked) friend. "Let it simmer down, y'know?"


	3. All I need

hello, it's me: do you guys remember when i said you wouldn't believe what a year 2014 was for me? 2015 was even more a roller coaster. i covered ten NYC blocks in six-inch platform stilettos (in one day), got accepted onto a team i've been striving to get on for years, got a boyfriend?, and through a hilarious and decidedly fanfiction-esque series of events, got my entire college education paid for. so i hope 2015 treated you well, hope you got to sleep a little more than i did, and super hope that 2016 is everything you hope and more. xx

* * *

Mikasa Ackerman, for all her athletic and academic accomplishments, was not a morning person. In fact, according to Sasha, she was so horrible to live with in the mornings that the coffee machine was in Mikasa's room instead of the cramped kitchen. "This way" the brunette had announced exactly two hours into their stint as roommates, "I don't even have to _see_ you in the mornings before you have coffee."

It was a little bit genius, even Mikasa had to admit.

However, coffee before running was less than ideal, and mornings without running were even less ideal than that; which was how Mikasa found herself out in the middle of nowhere loping along beside the very same brunette without a single drop of caffeine in her system.

"So," Sasha began, breaking the easy half-silence of their feet against gravel and birdsong. "It's been a week."

Mikasa pretended not to hear.

The half-silence resumed as they rounded a corner into the sun, and the dark woman really, truly believed that she had dodged the bullet, when- "How can you go an _entire week _without making a _single move _Mikasa?" There it was.

"It's not like we haven't been talking," the taller girl equivocated, pace picking up as she flew into panic mode. "It's just that we-"

"Haven't done _anything!" _Her best friend exclaimed, bangles left over from the night before clanging together as she threw her hands up into the air. Mikasa glowered. "That's not true, we went to see Grabbers together!"

The pace increased again as they began up a hill, golden warm sun still beaming down upon them. "Mikasa," Sasha sighed, before pausing to inhale, "that was a week ago, and you two didn't even _do _anything." The half-silence took back up as they crested the hill and Mikasa bit her lip, thinking back to the foyer of the theatre and the rain outside.

"Well I mean there was an almost-something.." It took the taller of the two almost five steps to realize she was alone before whipping around to see Sasha standing, jaw slack.

"_What?_" she shrieked, (Mikasa was sure she watched a flock of innocent birds startle out of a tree to their left). "An almost what Mikasa," the barista by day made up the distance between them eerily fast, "an almost _what_?"

Backpedaling furiously, the dark girl threw her palms forward, "Nothing!" Her best friend glared fiercely, the day prior's eyeliner only making her look more unhinged, "just like maybeakiss_Idon'tknowitdidn'thappenforreal._" One dirty orange running shoe hit the ground with impressive force as Sasha stomped her foot.

"Mikasa." Said girl swallowed nervously, well aware of the ass kicking that was about to take place. "You had a self described "almost kiss" and you didn't _feel the need to tell me_?" Turning around to resume their run, Mikasa took a few strides to compose herself before responding.

"It wasn't that big a deal though." Sasha scoffed, "I mean there was a moment where it could have happened," the dark girl struggled for words. Here in the bright morning sun with her best friend beside her and the smell of fresh leaves budding it was so hard to put words to that moment. Like she was in an entirely different world than the dark, neon lit _something _she and Eren had shared. "But it didn't.."

For the third time that morning half-silence took over, filling in the spaces between tree trunks and setting both girls a little more at ease. "I almost think it's better." Mikasa mused offhandedly as they began to descend out of the trees and back into suburbia, "this seems like something I'd rather let build."

Sasha shrugged one shoulder and wiped the sweat from her brow, "if that's what you think is best."

By the time the two had tumbled through the door, sweaty and happy, Sasha only had an hour until her shift and Mikasa had come to the realization that without classes she was kind of out of things to do. "Call Eren," her friend suggested, eyebrows waggling as she nearly tripped out of her shorts on the way to shower. "I bet he'd be willing to do yo-"

"if you don't shut up I'm snapping Jean a picture of your bare ass." Laughing gaily, the brunette fled into the shared bathroom, just barely turning the shower on before setting Kesha blaring through the house.

Left with only herself, Kesha and the muffled sounds of Sasha's shower, Mikasa set her phone resolutely down on the cluttered dining room table. "I am not going to call him." She nodded to no one in particular.

_Although _that same almost-Annie voice in her head drawled, _what harm could come from calling him? _Mikasa growled and bent to unlace her shoes, cursing her enabling friends and their firm hold on her subconscious. Anyways, and regardless of what the little voice in her head said, it was like she'd told Sasha on their run: this wasn't something she wanted to rush. In fact, the memory of that rainy night spent heckling horror flicks and ducking to see under the arms of the couple in front of them had become so crystallized in her mind that she almost didn't want to see him again should reality not match up. What if he wasn't as great as she remembered? What if outside in the golden-bright May sun his eyes didn't hold quite the same glow? What if he was a creature best viewed by ticking neon lights and rose tinted lenses? Maybe it was best if she left him alone altogether and focused on more important things. Like yesterday's stale coffee over ice.

_Whatever does you dirty. _The almost-Annie voice laughed again, clearly unconvinced.

With one furious shake of her head, the dark girl dislodged her conniving friend's voice from her mind and made for the coffee pot. She wasn't going to call him, it was too nice a day out to waste it on some boy (even if his eyes were the most startling shade of green), plus it was nearly noon, he _probably_ had plans anyways.

"Armin."

Nothing.

"Armin."

Still a resolute silence from the door one down from his.

"Armiiiiin."

Nothing, again. In fact, Eren reasoned as he stared up at the off white ceiling and the lone fly buzzing airily around it, there might have been even more nothing than before.

"Armiiiiiiiiiiiiiiin."

This time the nothing was broken by the muffled sound of his best friend's arm (or maybe his head, who knew) hitting the thin wall between them. Sensing that this was his chance to strike, Eren took a deep breath in and.. "Armiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii-"

"Enough!" His best friend cried, clear voice ringing out from a direction that sounded suspiciously like the kitchen. Sitting up slowly, Eren glanced with narrowed eyes from his phone (the clock read noon), towards the room where he'd _definitely _just heard someone hit the wall half asleep, to the direction of the blond's voice.

With a yawn and a half hearted crack of his neck, the green eyed almost-man rolled out of bed, hyper aware of stiff muscles and the familiar weight of not enough sleep in his limbs (he could still feel the tight knot of finals-induced tension between his shoulder blades, set in so deep not even sleeping past noon could ease it). "Armin." He tried again as he waded through the clothes on the floor and past his door into the airy light of their small common area. "Armin who the _fuck_ is in your room?"

A dumb question in hindsight, as the unabashedly disheveled blond turned to raise one eyebrow at him. "Oh Jesus," Eren groaned, shouldering past his shirtless roommate to reach for the fresh coffee. "You banged your girlfriend while I was here too?" That _basically _went against every roommate code Eren had ever seen erected (not that he and Armin had made any such agreement upon moving in together).

The other male laughed and rubbed at his neck, a light flush spreading across his cheeks as Eren's eyes narrowed. One accusatory finger prodded an angrily swollen mark, "you are _covered _in hickeys." Pale hands swatted his own away as Armin reached past him for the carton of eggs sat beside the melita. Cracking a few into the cast iron Carla had given them for christmas, he gave a proud little bob of his chin,

"you should see _Annie-"_

There was a moment of warm silence, bathed in the smell of brewing coffee and slowly warming air before Eren gave a nod and a crooked grin. "Solid," the pair bumped fists as Armin turned to hunt for their (his) whisk.

"Could you grab me the yellow mixing bowl please?" Eren shot a thumbs up at his roommate's (scratch covered) back before turning on his heel to reach for the cupboard handle across from them and promptly almost took out another blonde.

"Yeager." Annie nodded, voice hoarse and hair standing more or less on end as she ducked under the arm just inches from the bridge of her nose. If said brunet had thought that Armin looked ruffled, he had nothing on his partner. The petite blonde was just barely decent, muscle-bound legs bruised (be it from Armin, or her rigorous training Eren didn't know) and strong shoulders sun-kissed against the cool blue of her tank. She was the perfect picture of the morning after, complete with last-night's makeup under her eyes and the smell of old perfume.

"Good morning to you too," he teased, reaching into the cupboard he'd nearly killed her to open and handing Armin said bowl. Armin thanked him with a smile before turning his attention down towards his partner and her bruised lips.

"How was your night?" Eren grinned, lounging back against the counter and enjoying his _one chance _to make the most private couple he knew squirm a little. Or rather, if he was being honest, make Armin squirm a little. Annie was actually really great, even if she _did _beat him every time they played _any_ video game. He had no reason to tease her mercilessly, she even let them into her (significantly nicer) apartment to do laundry once a week.

Peeking over her shoulder, said blonde shot a razor-blade grin and answered his question with a question of her own, "how was _your _night waiting for girl-three-desks-down to call?"

Armin laughed, and Eren raised one middle finger to the kitchen at large. "In my defense, you're making it sound like I just moped around waiting for her, which I didn't-" the pair opposite him broke down in laughter,

"Yeager," Annie looked up from where she'd braced herself against the counter to better cackle at him, "Yeager when we walked in the door you were asleep on your bed with your cheek literally pressed to your phone." The brunet fumed, he thought he'd closed his door before checking in for the night, "you were one hundred percent moping around waiting for her."

Wiping mirthful tears from his eyes, Armin turned his piercing stare on the other male, "why don't you call her?" Eren took a breath in and opened his mouth to speak before shutting it again, unsure of how to phrase the feeling in his gut. How did you put such a strong sense of anticipation into words? How was he supposed to articulate the way his entire body went into overdrive every time he thought of her (and not just in the _get it in get it in _kind of way)? She was a dream-creature, a being too ethereal to be real. He wasn't sure he wanted to pull her out of the neon-lit world of rainy car rides and almost kisses he'd come to place her in. If sunlight turned her to stone he didn't want to be the one responsible, she was worth too much for that.

"It's like I said," he brought his palms up in a defeated gesture, "I just don't want to rush it and fuck it up."

Two pairs of sharp blue eyes narrowed, and as Armin began to open his mouth Annie cut him off, "you need to call her." A command.

"What? No! I can't do that Annie!" The brunet backpedaled furiously, shaking his mop of shaggy hair and eyeing the half open bedroom door woefully (_if he could just get inside he could set up a barricade and_)-

"Eren," said blonde growled, completely wrecking the familiarity of using his first name with the steel edge of her voice, "call the goddamned girl and ask her to lunch."

Helpless against the x-ray stare of his best friend's girlfriend, Eren turned his (_hopeless_) gaze to said best friend, looking desperately for any kind of help.

"It's not a bad idea, actually." Armin admitted with a shrug of broad shoulders. "It's been a week, I'm sure she's in the exact same situation as you." Eren raised his eyebrows, lips pulling into a grimace,

"see you say this, but we have no proof."

Unbeknown to the males leant against the counter on either side of her, Annie tapped away at her smart phone's screen, Cheshire cat grin growing with every keystroke. In a past life she must have been an excellent strategist, there was no other explanation for her gifts otherwise.

**To: **Annie

**From: **Ackerman

Annie

Annie please tell me you're available to do something while Sasha is at work

Annie she's trying to make me call the guy from o chem

I need a legit excuse as to why I didn't

Please be my excuse

pLEASE

**To: **Ackerman

**From: **Annie

i can't sorry  
armin and i have plans

i'm not gonna let you hide from something clearly positive

"Armin," the deceptively petite soccer player said, grinning in a most unsettlingly self-satisfied way as she held her phone out for him to see. "What are we doing this afternoon?" The taller man shrugged, bangs falling over his eyes as he bent to read the proffered text conversation.

"Ahhh," one hand came up to scratch at the stubble lining his jaw, "well I heard that new café in midtown is really good." His lover smiled brightly, all pretenses gone as she bumped the bridge of her nose against his jaw. "Wanna catch a shower and then go for late lunch?"

_Honestly, _Eren thought as he unlocked his phone and absently refreshed snapchat, _what a pair of dipshits. _He was happy for Armin and all, but there had to be some law somewhere about such gross displays of affection in public (because the kitchen 100% counted as 'in public').

After watching Jean's story (a series of videos featuring Sasha telling horrifically inappropriate jokes while on the job) Eren glanced up to find Armin staring at him with a soft little smile playing about his face. "What the fuck are you lookin' at?" He asked gruffly, raising one eyebrow and locking his phone as Annie passed him on her way to the bathroom.

"Nothing, nothing," the blond equivocated, waving one hand airily. Emerald eyes narrowed and Eren stared until the man across from him cracked, heaving a sigh muffled by the rush of Annie turning the shower on down the hall. "Okay Eren," his friend held a hand out for his cup as he lifted the melita up. "I really think you should call Mikasa." Had he been holding the cup still it definitely would have hit the floor.

"Oh _come on _Armin!"

"No, really," the cup was set carefully beside him on the counter, steaming cheerily. "You very clearly want to see her." The only one of their friend group to hold down a steady relationship smiled, "I think that's an impulse you should follow."

Eren flipped him the bird and turned to pour some Bailey's in his coffee (he was going to need it).

"Hey," the almost-familiar baritone greeted when Mikasa tentatively picked up the phone.

"Oh, hi," she scrambled, thanking any deities listening that she didn't stutter. "How're you?"

On the other side of town, Eren grinned into his phone, heart racing faster than it maybe ever had before as he leant back on the sun soaked counter. "I'm hanging in there," a pause as he mentally ran over his proposal one final time, "but ah," his stomach flipped as Mikasa inhaled, "would you maybe wanna grab lunch or something?"

The dark girl grinned, unable to stop her hands from shaking even as they held her phone. "Yeah," she'd have to pick an outfit and actually put makeup on but- "I'd actually really love that."

Eren shot a fist into the air, grin splitting his face neatly in two as Armin and Annie exchanged triumphant smirks across the room. "Awesome" he breathed, hardly able to believe she'd accepted. "I heard that the cool lunch place by the park just opened it's outdoor seating, wanna check it out?"

Mikasa nodded brightly, before realizing her couldn't see her and smiled sheepishly,

"that sounds great!" Already heading into her room to either find one of her sun dresses or steal one of Sasha's, the young Ackerman took pause when Eren began,

"I can totally pick you up too, if you want."

_That would make it an actual date _Annie's voice rang through her head again, the vocal equivalent of the cat who'd caught the canary, and Mikasa felt her heart rate shoot into overdrive. "T-that would be great, yeah."

"Hell yeah!" Eren exclaimed, and she swore she could feel his smile from here. "I'll be over in an hour?"

"Sounds great," she breathed, and just barely ended the call before dropping her phone. Ok, she had a date, now what? An hour, in girl world, really wasn't long enough to do much of anything. She could choose to prioritize her hair, and make it do something other than hang stick straight around her face, but that would mean sacrificing any semblance of makeup, and definitely eat up all of her time to properly hunt for an outfit. However, if she let her hair do it's own thing, and focused on her clothes, she could swipe on some concealer and mascara and call it a day. _Or _if she put her clothes in the top spot…

Nearly snarling, Mikasa stomped the final few steps into her bedroom and decided to just figure it out as she fucking went (Sasha would be _so_ disappointed).

Fifty minutes after hanging up with Eren, Mikasa stood in the center of she and Sasha's messy living room, light sandals in one hand and her purse in the other. She had makeup on her face, perfume ready to be applied in her purse, shoes in her hand.. and still felt like she was missing something. Spinning around once, the dark woman ran a mental checklist (no styling tools left on in the bathroom, nothing on in the kitchen either, she'd covered her tracks when she'd gone through Sasha's wardrobe) the little thought must just have been a manifestation of nerves, she reasoned, and stepped out the door at the buzz of her phone.

Eren was about to start hyperventilating.

His car idled outside the nondescript front doors of Mikasa's apartment building, sunlight dappled and tinted green in places across the dash by the old oaks growing above him. It had started to sink in as he drove past campus just exactly what he was about to do. He was going to pick up the girl he'd spent an entire semester pining after and actually take her on a date. Like a sit down date, a eat food together and make small talk date. The kind of date Armin and Annie had gone on at first, the kind of date that could mean something more.

He had to puke.

But before the green eyed boy could duck out of his car to lose his breakfast behind the old oak he'd been admiring just a second ago, Mikasa stepped out of the building, the perfect picture of spring in her light dress and easy stride.

"Hey," she murmured, ducking into the car with a waft of soft perfume (vanilla, and flowers and something else Eren couldn't quite place) and a bright smile.

"H-hey," he faltered, unprepared for the intimacy of her in his car with the warm, dappled, sun falling across her shoulders. "Ready to go?" She gave him a sharp little grin, and Eren shifted the car into first with a cocky tilt of his chin.

The lunch spot in question was an offbeat, quirky little restaurant run by the same people as the coffee shop Sasha worked at. It was all warm, dark wood and wide open windows. It felt equal parts modern and pleasantly broken in. Annie liked it for it's strong, dark coffee and deep mugs, Armin for it's candied jalapeños and constantly rotating menu. Eren was just as happy at the local taco joint, but even he had to admit that this was a far better place for a first (or second, technically) date.

Mikasa for one, had only been once with Sasha when the joint first opened, and only really valued it for it's coffee and natural lighting (two things that were hard to come by in good quality). That being said, she was excited to go with Eren. Although, the dark woman recognized with a stolen glance at the man driving, she'd probably be happy to go to the DMV with him.

"Alright," Eren grinned, any nerves he'd harbored waiting outside her door blown away by the rolled down windows and the soft snap of her hair catching the wind. "Worst date you've ever been on, go." Mikasa gave a happy peal of laughter and reached one hand out the window while she thought.

"Hmmm," she tilted her fingers up, and let the speed carry her hand high. "Probably my senior year of high school," a soft grin at just how long ago that was now, "with a guy from the debate team that Sasha was sure I'd love."

Eren's brows disappeared into his fringe, "like drama debate and defense?"

"You got it," she laughed, "I think she thought I'd appreciate his intellect. Or maybe she really just wanted me to con him into taking me to prom." The two young adults shared a smile and a peal of laughter. "Either way, he took me to the museum and spent the entire time hitting on another girl. It was great." Eren turned into the parking lot and furrowed his brows.

"Well he was a dipshit then." The brunet declared as he pulled out the parking break and put the car into neutral. "Let's get some food!" Mikasa couldn't help her smile as she followed him out of the car and across the sunny parking lot.

"Table for two?" The hostess chimed when they walked in the door, eyes bright and nose piercing glinting in the sun.

"Yes please," Mikasa answered, heart jumping a little. She was a table for two now, and not just with Sasha or Annie, with a _boy_. A tall, intelligent boy who'd kept up with her in o chem to the point of grasping concepts before her. A boy who had quite literally just walked into her life and seemed like maybe, just maybe, he was going to stay. But by the time they'd been seated at a table on the second story deck, Mikasa had reminded herself that this was only the first date, and that _really _there was no point in tripping over her shoes just yet.

The air was balmy, scented by the budding leaves around them, and moving softly with a late spring breeze characteristic of their town. Around them the tables were filled, a warm buzz rising from their occupants and relaxing what few nerves were left simmering between Eren and Mikasa.

"So, fair is fair," grey eyes twinkled, and Mikasa leant over the table, chin resting on neatly folded hands. "What's the worst date _you've _ever been on?" Eren grinned, leant back in his chair until only two legs remained on the ground and saucily took a sip of his water.

"You will not _believe_ it."


End file.
